The United States is considering purchasing the Chagos Islands, a strategic point in the Indian Ocean that hosts a joint US-UK air base, from Mauritius, according to a report.
The Telegraph, a British daily, reported Monday that the US government has drawn up an independent negotiation plan with Mauritius to secure control of Diego Garcia, an island in the Chagos archipelago, bypassing Britain.
The British government signed an agreement last May to transfer sovereignty over the British-held Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining control of the military base on Diego Garcia for at least 99 years. However, it recently suspended implementation of the agreement amid opposition from US President Donald Trump.
Trump, who initially supported the return of the Chagos Islands, reversed his position after clashing with Britain and other European allies over the issue of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. He criticized the move as a "big mistake," arguing that "the UK should not lose control of Diego Garcia." He then halted Britain's plan to return the Chagos Islands after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to allow the use of the Diego Garcia base for a US attack on Iran in the early stages of the war with Iran.
The Chagos Islands had been under British rule since being ceded by France in 1814. When Mauritius, a former British colony, pursued independence in 1965, Britain separated the Chagos Islands and designated them as the "British Indian Ocean Territory." In the process, Britain forcibly expelled up to 2,000 island residents to build a US military base.
In a subsequent lawsuit filed by the Mauritian government, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2019 that Britain should return the Chagos Islands. As a result, the British government agreed in October 2024 to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The military base on Diego Garcia is considered highly strategic, as it keeps Iran within striking range and can carry out long-range bombing operations around the clock, including attacks on Tehran using B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. Senior officials in the Trump administration have expressed concern that if control of the Chagos Islands passes to Mauritius, which has friendly ties with China, it could lead to maritime espionage activities by hostile forces.
The Telegraph reported that "the plan to purchase the Chagos Islands, where future uncertainty has grown, is one of several options for the Trump administration," adding that "US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was directly involved in drafting the plan and reported it to President Trump."
The purchase price of the Chagos Islands has not yet been discussed. Britain had originally planned to pay about 35 billion pounds (about 72.8 trillion won) for leasing the military base for 99 years after handing the area over to Mauritius.
The Telegraph forecast that "for the US to actually take control of the Chagos Islands, it would first have to ensure that the sovereignty transfer agreement pursued by the British government is implemented, then conduct separate negotiations with Mauritius after it receives sovereignty."
